"Hence with Uber now operating there are even more rides being offered to a simultaneously barely increased number of potential passengers." You seem to have forgotten from which side of the issue you are arguing from.

Have I?
I'm not on the side of the government regulated taxi industry Pogi.
I'm on the side of the consumer, and of the individual and of the free market.

I'm sorry that you may have lost out badly in an industry you spent your life doing, but the way I see it Uber amounts to progress in the world, a sign of the times and a changing environment.

When I think about it cost of plates only increases the cost of fares and so the whole industry is either charging the consumer more than the service is worth or ripping the driver off.

I think Uber's a good thing as it will give opportunities to people with health or medical issues that may have difficulty finding employment to find ways to earn some money for themselves.

I'm all for empowering the individual Pogi.

I'm just afraid that Uber will replace taxis as the next state-protected monster, as government would say "if you can't beat them - join and regulate them".

What would they decree next? That it be illegal to get a ride on the street from people you don't know unless you had phone contact with them first? That it be illegal to pay for rides in cash? That those who won't use electronic gadgets must walk or crawl till they drop dead in the gutter?

Armchair Critic writes; "Before Uber, it was the governments handing out of licenses that was the issue.
Too many licenses made it difficult for taxi operators because there wasn't as many fares to go around."

Pogi wrote; And how does adding hundreds of passenger carrying Uber taxis alleviate the problem you raise? Hence with Uber now operating there are even more rides being offered to a simultaneously barely increased number of potential passengers. You seem to have forgotten which side of the issue you are arguing from.

Armchair Critic replied; "Have I? I'm not on the side of the government regulated taxi industry Pogi.
I'm on the side of the consumer, and of the individual and of the free market."

If only you had placed the above brief para on page 1 you would have saved our having to read all the piffle and bunkum of your later posts. Don't you realise that by writing the above in reply you've thereby demonstrated that you have forgotten or are incapable of maintaining relevancy

It has become a feature of your contributions that as soon as you are presented with facts and figures you ignore them and resort to vacuous generalities. The consumer, the individual, the free market? These are exactly those important features of business that are of most concern to the taxi industry! No matter how you pontificate, whinge or deplore government involvement in industry, wherever free market competition occurs there will be need of legislation and regulation to curb excesses of human behaviour especially where customers/consumers can suffer disadvantage. There can be no question that if Uber becomes legitimate it will suffer the attention of overzealous legislators in much the same manner as the taxi industry has. No matter the sophistry generated by slogan-slinging windbags such as yourself, a would-be high flyer held aloft only by occasional gusts of wind.

Odds bods! Let us rejoice that the pen is not only mightier than the sword but is considerably easier to write with. Yet no joy derives from engaging in a battle of wits with an unarmed opponent.

To be fair and preserve the equanimity so far pertaining I urge you to cease writing the customary balderdash about the taxi industry and quit while you are behind. The consequence of non compliance will be no more Mr Nice-Guy from me should your lies, distortion and misrepresentation persist